


Thunderpaw's Witnessing

by kulahorns



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Murder, Murder Mystery, Non-Graphic Violence, WindClan (Warriors), Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25891495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kulahorns/pseuds/kulahorns
Summary: Three young apprentices- Thunderpaw, Mousepaw, and Littlepaw sneak out onto the territory of their home clan, WindClan. That night, Thunderpaw witnesses the murder of their clanmate, Shadefur. Now, the three littermates have to reckon with what they saw- and whether it could have an impact determining the future of the Clans.
Kudos: 1





	1. Allegiances

**Allegiances**

**WindClan**

Leader: **NUTSTAR** —a light brown tabby she cat with a lighter underbelly and white paws.

Deputy: **CLOVERWHISKER** —a black tom with a white underbelly, paws, muzzle, and tail-tip.

Apprentice — **MOUSEPAW**

Medicine Cat: **BRIGHTNOSE** —a long furred white she cat with a ginger face and tail.

Apprentice — **LITTLEPAW** —a small white tom with a brown tabby patch and blue eyes.

Warriors

 **SHADOWFANG** —a black spotted tom with short fur and yellow eyes.

**BLACKTAIL** —a slim, brown tabby she cat with hazel eyes.

**SANDFACE** —a short haired, cream spotted tabby she-cat, with gold eyes.

**ASHWHISKER** —a long-furred, light grey tabby she cat with blue eyes.

**STARLINGWIND** —a short haired, black tabby tom with a white underbelly.

**RABBITPELT** —a tall, skinny light grey-blue tom.

**NETTLESTREAM** —a grey-blue she cat with fluffy fur and hazel eyes.

Apprentice — **THUNDERPAW**

**GORSEFUR** —a mousy brown spotted tom with a white tipped tail.

Apprentice — **REDPAW**

**BARLEYPOOL** —a black and white patched tom.

Apprentices

 **REDPAW** —a fluffy dark ginger tom with white paws.

**MOUSEPAW** —a dark gray and white she cat.

**THUNDERPAW** —a dark gray tabby she cat.

Elders

 **EAGLEFROST** —a long furred dark gray and white she cat.

**ICEBIRD** —a small, ragged white tom.

  
  


**ThunderClan**

Leader: **PINESTAR** —a brown tabby tom, with short fur, and yellow eyes.

Deputy: **YELLOWFLOWER** —a long haired golden she cat with copper eyes.

Medicine Cat: **LAURELFACE** —a short haired brown tabby she cat with olive eyes.

Warriors

 **ASPENBERRY—** a short haired, lilac and cream, spotted tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.

**BEECLAW—** a short haired, cream tabby tom with green eyes.

**HAILTHORN—** a long haired, gray tabby tom, with hazel eyes.

**CROWCLOUD** —a black tom.

Apprentice — **TURTLEPAW**

**RUSSETPELT—** a red tabby she-cat with hazel eyes.

**LEAFWHISKER—** a tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes.

Apprentices

 **TURTLEPAW** **—** a black tortoiseshell she cat.

Queens

 **BURNHEART** —a short haired, red tabby she cat with amber eyes.

**RAVENFANG** —a black she cat with a white tip on her tail.

Mother of Beeclaw’s kits; **LILYKIT (** a pale tortoiseshell she cat) and **NIGHTKIT (** a black tom)

  
  


**ShadowClan**

Leader: **SOOTSTAR** —a older, pale tortoiseshell she cat with short fur and amber eyes.

Deputy: **TANSYHEART** —a large, scarred yellow tabby she cat with thick but short fur.

Medicine Cat: **RATCLAW** —an intimidating brown tabby tom with narrow yellow eyes.

Apprentice — **JUNIPERPAW** —a grey, almost black she-cat

Warriors

 **LICHENMASK** — very small yellow-and-cream she-cat with pale yellow eyes.

**COLDSTRIPE** — thick furred silver tabby tom with a large scar on leg.

Apprentice — **FAWNPAW**

**THORNSTRIPE** — tawny-and-white she-cat with dark green eyes.

**FUZZYPELT** — pale fawn tom. 

**MARSHPETAL** — tortoiseshell and white she cat with long eyelashes.

Apprentice — **CLAWPAW**

**ADDERBLAZE** — a tall, skinny ginger tom with yellow eyes.

Apprentices

 **CLAWPAW** —a brown tabby tom with a lighter underbelly.

**FAWNPAW** —a spotted brown tabby she cat.

ELDERS

 **SNAILSPOTS** —a pale orange-and-white tom.

**NIGHTSTRIPE** —an elderly, scarred black tom with gold eyes.

**CINDERWHISKER** —a long furred striped gray she cat with light grey eyes. 

**RiverClan**

Leader: **SHELLSTAR** —a dove gray tom with light blue eyes.

Apprentice — **FROSTPAW**

Deputy: **SNEEZELIGHT** —a young, thick-furred ginger she-cat with a white chest and paws.

Medicine Cat: **DAPPLESHINE** —a dark tortoiseshell tom with olive eyes.

Apprentice — **FEATHERTAIL** —a long furred, light gray tabby tom.

**Warriors**

**MOSSWHISKER** —a long furred black she cat with green eyes.

Apprentice — **VOLEPAW**

**SHORTSTEM** —a striped grey tom with dark golden eyes.

**BRANCHWING** —a large brown tabby tom.

**SKIPPERCLAW** —a tortoiseshell and white she cat with golden eyes.

**GINGERBREEZE** —a ginger tom with white paws.

**GRAYSPRING** —a soft gray she cat with a long tail. 

**BARLEYPELT** —a fluffy light brown tabby tom.

**MINNOWNOSE** —a small white she cat with green eyes.

Apprentice — **HOLLYPAW**

**Apprentices**

**FROSTPAW** —a gray and white tabby she cat. 

**VOLEPAW** —a brown tabby tom with mottled stripes.

**HOLLYPAW** —a ginger tabby she cat.

**Queens**

**BARKFOOT** —a spotted brown tabby she cat.

Mother to **SHELLSTAR** ’s kits— **DUCKKIT** (a gray and white tom), **PEBBLEKIT** (a spotted gray tabby tom), and **HAWKKIT** (a light brown tabby tom with white paws)

**Elders**

**BIRCHCLAW** —a pale tortoiseshell she cat with blue eyes.

**WEBWATER** —an old, large ginger tabby she-cat.


	2. Prologue

“That’s it. I’m running away.”

Thunderpaw paced to and fro in the shadows cast by the tall walls of the tall grass-lined hideaway. A fox-length away, Mousepaw stared indignantly at the pacing gray she-cat. The two faced each other, Mousepaw’s gaze not breaking, Thunderpaw’s holding firm but occasionally flickering to the edge of the den, her ears pricked anxiously. 

A branch cracked somewhere in the night, and the hidden cats bristled. Thunderpaw pressed herself further into the shadows, making herself small, while Mousepaw and Littlepaw fell silent, listening for any signs of a hidden intruder.

“Now, can’t we please just be reasonable,” Littlepaw mewed quietly, speaking up after a moment of silence had passed without interruption. When Mousepaw’s icy gaze turned towards him, he tensed. He looked up timidly, blue eyes meeting her yellow. He saw her body weight start to lurch toward him and he puffed up, ready to defend himself before the she-cat could do anything. He didn’t think she’d actually _hurt_ him, but an angry Mousepaw could send even the grumpiest elder scurrying. 

“Before you hiss at me Mousepaw, please just-”

“I didn’t do anything. I didn’t do anything and you’re already thinking I’m going to hiss at you,” Mousepaw snapped. “I’m not going to raise tonight’s body count more than one, so you can relax.” Despite her words, Littlepaw kept his defensive crouch. 

“You looked like you were about to take a swipe at me, so please don’t give me that, you know I get nervous-” Littlepaw mewed, his voice cracking slightly. He nodded towards Thunderpaw. 

“Thunderpaw knows I get nervous, she can tell you. Right, Thunderpaw?” Littlepaw looked plaintively at his pacing sister to back him up, but Mousepaw snorted and sat back on her haunches. She nodded towards Thunderpaw.

“Thunderpaw isn’t listening to you, they’re off in their own head thinking of all the grand things they’re going to do when they run away and starve to death outside of Windclan’s borders,” Mousepaw remarked derisively in her characteristic low-pitched, growly voice.

Thunderpaw hardly looked up as she paced. Instead, she was muttering to herself in a quick, quiet voice, too low for Littlepaw to make out any words. In the pale light of the moon, Thunderpaw looked like a ghostly gray fox, and between her threats to leave and what had just happened, her haunted appearance felt like an omen of what was to come. 

“Thunderpaw, I’m worried, would you please say anything at all? And not another ‘I’m leaving’ this time, anything but that,” Littlepaw’s voice had taken a plaintive edge. Mousepaw glanced at him with annoyance. “You’re being too nice to her. I’m an inch away from clawing her ears off about this. She’s being suicidal with this idea of running away.”

“You’re both right.” 

Thunderpaw had stopped. She sighed, and, sitting down, curled her tail around her paws tightly, as if to provide her with some stability. “At the very least, I can’t be a coward about all this.”

“No matter what you’d do, you wouldn’t be a coward,” Littlepaw immediately felt his entire body relax in relief at the sound of Thunderpaw’s voice, and he rushed to his sister, burying his head in her shoulder. “After what you saw, it’s a wonder you’re not totally out of your mind right now.” 

Mousepaw snorted. “Well, for a second there it sure seemed like she was. But at least you admit it’s mousebrained to try to run off. I don’t care if you saw someone shove Littlepaw off a cliff-”

“That was your example?” Thunderpaw mewed, an amused shine finally drifting across her face. Mousepaw did a little exhale-snort of amusement. Littlepaw purred into Thunderpaw’s fur. For a moment, the air around the three cats grew calm, less charged with emotion, feeling more like it was any other ordinary newleaf night they would spend together. Every night that they had been sneaking out, they never imagined something bad would happen. Even yesterday, under the light of the new moon, they had been daring each other to put their paws into the stream that flowed into the gorge, with no mind of slipping or murder. The only reason they had left the camp this evening was because they wanted to play hide and seek. 

“So, if you’re not going to run away, what will you do?” Littlepaw mewed, his voice somewhat muffled in Thunderpaw’s soft gray tabby fur. 

“You need to tell someone,” Mousepaw said instantly. “Littlepaw’s the medicine cat apprentice, so tell Brightnose. She’ll know what to do. Or you could just tell our _leader_ , who, you know, I’m pretty sure it’s in the code that we can’t lie to.”

“So who’s the one who’s being irrational now?” Thunderpaw remarked wryly. 

“You seem to have recovered enough to make your usual witty comments,” Mousepaw retorted. 

“I’m just recovered enough to see your usual mouse-brained appeals to authority might get us killed this time, instead of just landing us on tick duty.” 

Just as Mousepaw opened her mouth, no doubt to unleash another stinging remark, Thunderpaw stood up. The force of her rising upwards knocked Littlepaw’s face back away from her shoulder, and he let out a squeak of surprise.

“You don’t know the danger all of us are in! Maybe telling Brightnose or Nutstar would be a good idea if this was some business with a rogue, but I don’t think it is. Now all of you listen. After the cat… the killer, I guess, left, there was _no scent of rogue at Shadefur’s body._ ” Thunderpaw looked at Mousepaw and Littlepaw meaningfully. “Do you understand what that means?”

“A-a rogue didn’t do it?” Littlepaw said unsurely. Fear-scent had made its way back into the three cat’s hidden meeting spot. 

“If there was no rogue scent, then what scent was there?” Mousepaw spoke. The light gray apprentice tilted her head. “Surely it’s not what you’re implying…”

Thunderpaw shook her head. “To be honest, I couldn’t smell anything special. Just…” She shuddered. “Just death. He still had blood leaking from his mouth…”

“No need to think about any of that,” Littlepaw said to Thunderpaw, brushing a soothing tail over her back, which had bristled up slightly. He shuffled his paws unsurely. When he usually got this shaky, overwhelmed sort of feeling, he would go deep into Brightnose’s den and breathe in the scent of her herbs. The sweet scent of the dry leaves and his mentor would wrap around him like a warm beam of sun. But now, her den was far away, and he only had the currently remarkably un-comforting presence of Mousepaw and Littlepaw to soothe him. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Mousepaw murmured. Her expression was unreadable.“I just don’t know what you’re… what _we’re_ going to do.” 

“I know,” Thunderpaw echoed hollowly. Littlepaw looked back and forth between his sisters. Mousepaw looked distracted and completely unsure. Thunderpaw looked pained.

“We could just not tell anyone.” He mewed suddenly. Mousepaw turned to him, surprised. But Thunderpaw began to nod in agreement.

“Someone’s going to discover Shadefur tomorrow, probably the dawn patrol. And if this really wasn’t a rogue, I don’t want to end up just like Shadefur because everyone knows Thunderpaw saw a cat kill him…” Littlepaw’s ears flattened anxiously at the thought. 

Thunderpaw flicked her tail in agreement. “You’re right. We just need to all be on board. No mistakes.” The two looked at Mousepaw, who suddenly looked afraid. 

“Are we just supposed to be afraid of all our clanmates now?” Mousepaw flicked her eyes from Littlepaw to Thunderpaw fearfully. “I don’t know if I can do that!”

Thunderpaw placed a paw on her sister’s. “I just… don’t want any of us to get hurt.” Mousepaw’s ears flattened. 

“ _Please,”_ Thunderpaw said urgently. Above them, the stars were beginning to fade. A light tinge was beginning to stain the horizon. Littlepaw flicked his tail 

“Please, Mousepaw!” He nuzzled his sister. “I don’t want Thunderpaw to have to run away.” 

Mousepaw’s eyes flared with a determined light. “If this will protect us, I won’t say anything. Even if it makes me disloyal, I won’t.”

“Good,” Thunderpaw mewed, her voice breaking in relief. She pointed her muzzle to the sky. “The sun’s coming up… we should get back before anyone notices we’re gone.” Littlepaw padded to Mousepaw and helped nudge her to her feet. 

“It’s rare you’re the one who’s not having a total breakdown,” Mousepaw remarked to him wryly, shaking herself off and stretching. Littlepaw purred and padded to the edge of the grass den. He began to splash his way through the muddy little trickle they all had to trudge through earlier that night- runoff from the large fields that the twolegs would supposedly run their big moving monsters through. Behind him, Mousepaw followed. Thunderpaw had already made her way to dry ground. 

The heather meadows of Windclan were just barely illuminated by the almost-dawn. The three cats began to move back towards camp, squeezing their bodies together against the buffeting wind. Littlepaw, shorter than his sisters, had to raise his paws high to avoid tripping on the thick clusters of heather and pale purple wildflowers that speckled the hillsides. 

As they neared the WindClan camp, Mousepaw flicked her tail for them to slow down. “Let’s see if Barleypool is still on guard duty.” She pressed her body to the ground and slunk towards the gorse tunnel entrance, disappearing out of sight. Littlepaw watched anxiously. 

“It’s all clear!” A hiss came from inside the camp, through the gorse barrier on the opposite side from where Littlepaw and Thunderpaw were standing.

“Coming. ” Littlepaw signaled to Thunderpaw and started to creep into the camp, his ears pricked for any sign of a watchful guard. He carefully padded over the sandy ground, with Mousepaw following watchfully behind him. Mousepaw was waiting for them on the other side, flexing her claws nervously.

“We must have come in right when the guards switched out,” Mousepaw mewed under her breath. 

“Then we better hurry,” Thunderpaw replied, already beginning to move towards the area where the warrior apprentices slept, a small scoop in the sand filled with soft heather petals and bits of moss.

“I’m starting to regret our clan’s habit of all sleeping outdoors,” Littlepaw grimaced. “There’s at least seven cats outside right now.”

“At least we sleep deeply,” Thunderpaw whispered, stepping over a sleeping Redpaw. She paused, turning her head towards Littlepaw.

“You need to go back to the medicine den now,” she said softly. “You can’t be seen with us.” Littlepaw touched his nose to hers, and brushed his tail along Mousepaw’s shoulder. 

“I’ll see you two tomorrow,” he whispered, and padded away, keeping an eye over his shoulder the entire time. Mousepaw and Thunderpaw were curling up together, two small balls of gray underneath the vast star-flecked sky. He slipped into Brightnose’s den, making sure she wouldn’t hear the sound of his paw steps falling as he crept past her. Snuggling gratefully into his feather-lined nest, the sound of his mentor’s steady sleeping breaths and the bittersweet smells of herbs relaxed him, and if only for an hour, Littlepaw fell into an uneasy sleep.


End file.
